A 10th grader drew this amazing Google Doodle celebrating black culture
Monday's incredible Google Doodle features a black power fist, an Egyptian ankh, a Black Lives Matter sign and a box braid weaved into the word "Google" -- and a high school sophomore drew them all.
Washington, D.C., native Akilah Johnson was announced as the 2016 winner of the Doodle 4 Google national contest on Monday, beating out more than 100,000 entries from around the U.S. Every year, grade school students compete in the contest for a chance to have their artwork featured on the Google homepage.
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In addition to having her winning doodle displayed on Google, Johnson will receive a $30,000 college scholarship. Her school, Eastern Senior High School, will also receive a $50,000 Google for Education grant, which offers technology resources for teachers and students.
"I based this picture off my lifestyle and what has made me into what I am today."
Google's prompt for this year's contest was "What makes me...me." Johnson titled her doodle My Afrocentric Life.
In just two weeks, she drew the piece using markers, colored pencils and crayons.
"I based this picture off my lifestyle and what has made me into what I am today," she wrote in her entry statement.
Johnson told The Washington Post that she credits her education in Washington, D.C., for her pride in her culture, since it emphasizes the importance of a "culturally relevant curriculum" and meets the "the specific needs of children of African heritage."
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In a guest blog post, she said she has always been encouraged to pursue art, but participating in Doodle 4 Google helped her understand why her art is important -- it speaks to people.
"No matter our differences, everyone is touched by art in some way," she wrote. "Winning this competition opened my eyes to the many types of art and the many ways it can resonate with people. I’m excited to keep creating art that matters."
[H/T The Washington Post]
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